Will of Fire
by LadyShira
Summary: The Uchiha Clan and the Foundation: two dilemmas hellbent on tainting Itachi's will for peace. On/off use of canon material, slow burn, shinobi/civilian, Itachi/OC. Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

_Summary_

 _Itachi Uchiha has passed chūnin and successfully ranked up to ANBU, taking one minuscule step closer to becoming Hokage and achieving his dream of peace. However, when the Uchiha clan's coup d'état surfaces and exceeds further than Itachi could ever expect, it threatens to interfere with not only his serene view of the future but the Hidden Leaf's future as a whole. When all problems seemingly come to a brief standstill, the looming presence of the Foundation suddenly uproots from deep in the shadows. With the constant support from Shisui Uchiha coming to an unexpected halt, Itachi's will for peace starts to subtly wane concerning the existence of Danzō Shimura and his dark organization. ItachiOC, Shinobi/Civilian._

 _Genre: Friendship/Romance/Angst/Tragedy/Family_

 **DISCLAIMER:** _I'm not one for writing disclaimers at the beginning/end of every chapter, so this will be the only one written. I'm on a fanfiction website, it's pretty obvious I own zero canon information. So that being said, all and every OC belongs to me, and anything canon belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, respectively._

 **I originally had this posted a few months ago, but a document that held important information for this story got deleted because I didn't update it within the 90 days timeframe. I deleted it in a haste recently because I was upset, but I've gotten things sorted out now. Again. Please enjoy.**

 **Will of Fire**

 _ **01 ~ The Consequences of War Between Nations, Part One**_

Bodies littered the ground at every turn; dark red blood seeped out of the dead and soaked into the dry, rocky earth. Weapons lay scattered about, surrounding the brutal mayhem that took place only moments before. Enemies and allies alike, war discriminated against none. Leaf ninja and other nation's brethren lay together, still from death, pain and agony etched onto their faces.

A four-year-old Itachi looked on at the bloody scene before him, a range of emotions coursing through his chest. _So this is... the Great Ninja War._

"Water, water!" A voice strained out. Itachi frantically searched for the owner of the voice in the sea of lifeless bodies, his eyes finally landing upon an enemy ninja holding his arm out in desperation. Itachi immediately ran forward, taking out his canteen and wrenching the lid off with his teeth. He watched as the man weakly drank his share of the water, then switched his gaze back to the endless amount of corpses around them. "Th-thank you." The man gasped out. Itachi felt sudden movement a second later, confusion sweeping across his mind as the man abruptly shot up with a kunai raised in the air. Acting out of instinct, he quickly got his own and sliced the enemy down with wide eyes.

Movement from behind got his attention, making him stand up and stare at the man that didn't hesitate to try to end his life.

"Father... Why did this shinobi try to kill me? I didn't do anything..." Itachi waited for a response, his heart pounding wildly and his emotions going haywire. It took all he was worth not to tremble in front of the watchful eye of his father.

"Because this is war." Came a terse reply.

"'War'?"

"It's not a war between people, it's a war between nations. That's why strangers kill each other meaninglessly." Fugaku further explained, staring at the man Itachi had just slain. This Hidden Stone ninja was the perfect example of the way the world currently functioned.

"Is that what it is?" Itachi faintly asked.

"That is what the shinobi world is," Fugaku switched his gaze to the back of his son. "Listen, Itachi. Never forget this sight."

"Uh huh." The four-year-old managed to mumble out.

Rows of shinobi stood in front of the Will of Fire Monument the next day, Itachi with his father and some clan members at the front. While everyone around them bowed their heads in respect, Itachi listened as his father and another man whispered among themselves.

"We managed an armistice, but the sacrifice was too great. Lord Third intends to take full responsibility and retire. There are voices in support of installing you, Captain, as the Fourth Hokage. Please-"

"Enough talk." Fugaku spoke low, eyes still closed.

The man grimaced and hesitated. "What should we do about Kakashi Hatake?" He managed to ask. "He doesn't belong to our clan, but he possesses the Sharingan."

"I understand Obito Uchiha fought bravely. Let's respect his wishes." Fukagu declared, stealing a glance at Kakashi who stood but a few feet away.

"We should bring the Sharingan back to the Uchiha."

"The war just ended. Do _not_ sow seeds of discord."

With his urge dismissed, the clansman agreed to his captain's demand. "Yes, sir."

"We finally have peace, we will persevere to maintain it. That is the duty of the Uchiha."

 **oOoOo**

 _"What is the meaning of life?"_

 _"There is none." Orochimaru proclaimed, "There's meaning in life if it's eternal."_

Itachi stood atop a cliff, hardly admiring the view that stretched out before him. His mind constantly played what the Sannin had told him instead, rewinding in his head over and over until he managed to vividly remember it by heart. _There's no meaning in life?_ He hesitated for a moment, asking himself the question again. _What is the meaning of life?_ Was there really none? _What's the point in life if there's no meaning?_ His hesitation wavered as he walked to the very edge, peering down the cliff.

A second later he was free falling, the wind pushing and pulling around him. The loud _caw!_ of a crow nearby made him open his eyes in alarm, then he twisted his body around as the crow flew past him, screeching again. The clashing and clanging of metal making repeated contact against the rocky wall scratched at his ears as he tried to gain control of his rapid descent, trying his best to avoid any dangers on his way down. After fighting with the kunai to stay embedded, he waited for the perfect time to jump off the cliff side and land on the uneven terrain, his clothes billowing harshly all the while.

 _No one wants to die, right?_ Itachi stared at the crow that followed him, sitting on his knees while the distinct trickling sound of the river flowed by softly. Already a few minutes had passed, the bird's beady eyes hardly blinking as Itachi stared it down. He was beginning to turn desperate for some kind of answer back to his silent, repeated question. The black bird jumped into the air and took flight as if meaning to break his whirlwind train of thought, and then dozens more appeared. They all cawed out persistently while swarming the now standing boy; he didn't react, just observed each one that flew by. Once they started to disperse, he held his arm out, not having to wait long for one to fly to him and land on his outstretched limb.

 _What is life, anyway?_

A few months later, Itachi was walking home with his mom from the hospital. It was his second trip with her to the white stained, disinfectant smelling building, and a nagging feeling in his gut emerged the moment she came out of the examining room with a nurse recommending her stuff that he didn't particularly understand. The first time they came, they were in and out with a big smile on his mothers face the entire walk home. Though that smile remained the second time around, Itachi had to wait outside his mother's examining room for almost an hour.

"Mom..."

"What is it?" Mikoto asked.

"Are you sick?"

"Oh, it's nothing like that." She reassured, turning around to face the boy with a hand resting on top her stomach. "You see, you're going to have a little brother or sister." Itachi gave his mother a startled look, not expecting such news. "Yes, you're going to be a big brother." She said, bringing his head to rest on her protruding baby bump.

After a moment, Itachi began to speak. "Mom, I want a little brother."

Mikoto laughed, "But a sister would be cute too, wouldn't it?"

"I have a feeling it's going to be a little brother." Itachi remarked, keeping his head on her pregnant belly.

Snow began to fall, catching his mother's attention excitedly. "Oh! It's snowing." She exclaimed, watching in glee as the flakes floated softly down. "It will be born in the summer."

Winter came and went, leading the seasons into summer, and ultimately, to the moment when Itachi Uchiha would officially become a big brother. He had been anticipating this day since his mother told him she was with child, and watching her stomach expand to great lengths had left him almost impatient.

Insistent wailing alerted Itachi his baby sibling had arrived, hearing it through the walls as he sat waiting in the hallway. He watched the clock down the corridor, hours had passed by rather slow, making the impatience seemingly unbearable. But finally, after another thirty minutes rolled by, his father opened the door to usher him in.

The baby's crying was steadily turning into whimpers the closer Itachi got. He saw it's tiny hands flailing, and then dark hair sitting atop its head.

"It's a boy! He's your little brother."

His mother's announcement made Itachi walk closer, examining the small, wrapped up baby boy, and proceeded to poke him gently on the cheek.

 _A life... A new life._

Fugaku reached for his tiny new son, holding him gently as he began to sway his body.

"Have you decided on a name?" His wife asked, smiling at him.

"Yes. Sasuke... Sasuke Uchiha." He answered with a smile of his own.

"Oh, that's a fine name, but that's-"

"Yes, it's Lord Third's father's name. I've already asked Lord Third."

"I see." Mikoto grinned at her husband, watching as he continued to move to and fro with baby Sasuke tucked into the bend of his arm.

"Sasuke. We shall raise him to never dishonor his name." Fugaku grinned, raising the little body in the air.

 **oOoOo**

 _Birth... Death... Birth... Death..._

The ruminations never went away, not even while he tried to sleep. Before Sasuke's birth, Itachi managed to control his unanswered questions of life and not let it completely consume him, but ever since he touched his little brother's cheek, his mind had been overwhelmed by endless thoughts of lives being brought into the world and lives being took out.

A month and a couple weeks had passed since Itachi's mother and baby brother came home from the hospital, and within that time frame, Sasuke had managed to wake him up nightly with his needy cries. Itachi was becoming borderline annoyed with the persistent wailing that took place multiple times in the dead of night; each noise that escaped from his baby brother brought back the endless amount of thoughts he was trying to keep at bay. That, and he was starting to get tired during the day from the accumulating lack of sleep. He would be attending the Academy in a week and wanted to attempt getting better rest, but tonight reminded him that _that_ most likely won't be happening anytime soon, or if ever again.

 _Life is born_. Sasuke boomed out a cry as soon as the thought entered Itachi's mind, and the soft hurried steps from his mother flicking the hall light on and crossing to the nursery room followed right after. _Life dies._ The sea of dead bodies from the war briefly flashed before his eyes, along with the ungodly amount of blood that had yet to of been soaked into the soil, and the putrid smell that had eventually accompanied it. _Life is... a battle..._ An unexplained sadness bloomed within him at the realization, and he clutched gently over his blanket-clad chest. He felt an overwhelming urge to cry; the burning feeling in his throat increasing by the second and making it hard for him to swallow.

He heard the gentle whispered coos from his mother, and the quick calming of Sasuke, which left the house relatively quiet again and stopping his own cries from bubbling up. Despite his unexpected revelation taking place at such an untimely moment, and the thick feeling in the back of his throat clogging his collected spit and keeping it from sliding down comfortably, Itachi turned on to his side and tried to get comfortable right before the scratching sound of his door sliding open invaded the semi-silence. He briskly slammed his eyes shut and relaxed his movements, hoping that feigning sleep would go unnoticed by his mother and she'd leave his room fast enough before his tears could escape in a downpour of quivering lips and snot.

Instead of his hope, he felt his mother tuck him in softly and kiss the back of his head, then brush his hair away from his face with warm fingers. A sigh of exhaustion could be heard from her, and the petting abruptly stopped. He waited for the moment his mother left his room before shoving his face into his pillow and letting the tears flow freely; he could already feel the wetness of what was shed from the instant he rolled to his left. The sliver of light from the crack between his door and wall went away as an echo of the light switch turning off could faintly be heard. A few minutes later, when his silent tears stopped and all of his snot was wiped away, he stared at the pale moon showing between his curtains while listening to the hum from his fan, it's constant noise slowly lulling him to sleep. _Finally_.

 **oOoOo**

Itachi watched as Sasuke drooled down his mouth, the slobbery mess hanging in strings and latching onto the dark blue outfit he was currently donned with. A look of distaste etched on Itachi's face as he took the baby blanket from under Sasuke's tiny hands and mopped up the mess. In retaliation, the baby groaned in annoyance and raised a fist up, bumping it repeatedly on Itachi's shoulder and face.

"Here." His mother said in amusement, offering a star-shaped toy for Sasuke to play with and chew on - him automatically doing the latter, and doing as much chewing that could take place for a three-month-old; the most damage he could do was gum the yellow thing and spread more messy slobbers everywhere. After a second, Mikoto handed Itachi some paper towels as well, so he could wipe up any excess drool. "How was the Academy today, Itachi?" She asked, walking back to the kitchen to finish what she was cooking.

"Fine," He replied, picking up the star Sasuke suddenly threw on the floor. "Sensei actually let us _touch_ the shurikens today." He started the Academy nearly two months ago and just this week they were given permission to go to the fenced in training grounds to be introduced to common shinobi weapons. He was already ahead, taking time to practice each day after class ended. He couldn't wait until he could attend the Shinobi Academy.

"That's nice, honey." Mikoto commented with a smile.

While he'd been with his classmates outside, he'd seen the Fourth Hokage walking with a red-headed lady whose belly looked just like his mother's before she had Sasuke. He'd forgotten about it by the time he did his own training and came back home, but the mention of the Academy reminded him of his earlier suspicions.

"Is Lord Fourth going to have a baby, too?" Itachi inquired while playing with his brother, wiggling his little finger at the baby when he threw the star to the ground again.

"Yes. I wonder what it will be." Mikoto answered, gently stirring the food in front of her. "I'll be going out tonight, so go ahead and have dinner."

"Okay."

"Your father is working, too, so please watch Sasuke." She added.

"Uh huh." Itachi mumbled, slightly distracted from the three-month-old's quiet coos as he handed the yellow star back to his grasping fingers.

It was a few hours later when Itachi had Sasuke bundled up and strapped to his chest, sitting on the porch and staring up at the night sky.

"It's a full moon tonight, Sasuke." He said softly, looking down at the baby with a smile. Suddenly, the wind began to blow, causing a dreadful feeling to wash over Itachi; the uncomfortable wiggles of Sasuke let him know he wasn't the only one feeling it. "What is this?" Sasuke's small whimpers turned into loud yowls when the sensation became heavy and dark. "There, there. Don't cry Sasuke, no matter what happens, your big brother will definitely protect you." Itachi reassured the crying baby.

A loud, thunderous roar broke through the air, startling Itachi and causing Sasuke to suddenly shriek his cries. In a haste, Itachi tried to maneuver out of his house while the constant earthquake-like sensations rumbled the earth.

"It's okay. There, there!" Itachi attempted to calm the howling baby, almost falling over when a particular rumble made him lose his balance.

Once he made it outside, citizens ran every which way in terror. Large rubble soared through the sky and landed on houses and businesses near Itachi, destroying everything in its vicinity. A piece of flying rock landed too close to him, and the aftershock of it's landing made him fall to the ground.

"Sasuke, it's okay. You got a little scared, huh?" Itachi asked while he picked himself up, smiling down when Sasuke quieted his cries into mewls. Once he made sure his brother was securely strapped to his chest still, Itachi saw the dead bodies littering the ground, then took off into a light jog away from the carnage; even though Sasuke was a baby, he didn't want his little brother's innocent eyes taking in the death all around them.

Roars could still be heard, the noise itself causing the earth to tremble. After a bit of jogging and listening to commands nearby ninja were yelling above the sounds, Itachi came up to a few destroyed houses and quickly noticed one of the constant giggling girls from his Academy class. Izumi, if he remembered correctly, laid within the wreckage of one of the random homes with a man and a woman holding their arms over her in an attempt of shielding her body from the debris. Blood pooled around them, a lot he seen oozing out of the girl's mouth. He paused his jogging, staring at the scene with a deep frown and a thudding heart.

Frantic screams got him moving away from the bloody scene of his now ex-classmate; his main focus was getting his little brother to safety, and stopping and staring at the dead was not helping his situation. He did little searching for his father and mother - in all honesty, his parents were the last people he was thinking of with Sasuke currently in his arms depending on him - and instead rushed in the direction of the shelter ninja were yelling to get to. It eased him slightly, though, when he caught sight of his dad standing a few feet away, evaluating everything before him with a stern expression and his arms crossed. Dodging people along the way, Itachi quickly went to him.

"I knew you would be alright," Fukagu stated once Itachi got close enough. "Get to the shelter quickly."

It was hot, and people were cramped tightly together. The suffocating air caused Sasuke's cries to worsen, and Itachi was getting slightly worried about the red hue his brother's face was currently turning. He attempted to make room to sit the baby between his legs, but the bunched up group of sweaty bodies made it practically impossible. Itachi sighed, people started looking at him the moment Sasuke's wailing kicked up a notch. He wasn't embarrassed by his brother's actions, but he was getting nervous someone would end up causing a confrontation of annoyance. Everyone was on edge from the attack, and he knew they didn't want to listen to a screeching baby.

"Hush, hush, Sasuke. You're alright now, big brother has you." Itachi attempted to calm his cries, brushing his fingers gently down his brother's face and rocking his arms from side to side. Sasuke slowly stopped bawling and settled into a jumble of groans and moans, causing a deep sigh of relief to bustle out of Itachi when people stopped giving him accusatory glances. "We'll be able to leave soon." He soothed out, continuing to trace Sasuke's features until he fell asleep on his chest.

 **oOoOo**

After the Nine Tails had been sealed, and everyone exited the shelters, bodies of the fallen were collected by the Uchiha Police Force along with other ninjas that weren't helping clean up the abundance of debris and wreckage littering everywhere.

"My babies." Mikoto breathed, wrapping Itachi into her arms and smashing Sasuke between their bodies once she finally found them in the hordes of people walking through the ruins searching for their own relatives. Fugaku stood behind her, relief crossing his face at the sight of his family back together in one piece, then pulled all three in for a brief hug.

Three days later, the mass funeral took place. Many tears were shed, and Itachi could physically feel the sadness radiating off of each person present. His parents stood near, his mother holding Sasuke, while they listened to the Third Hokage speak. His mind ran unrestrained, taking in the newborn baby bundled up peacefully in a basket in front of the Will of Fire Monument, and the new graves that had recently been dug and then covered again.

 _"Many lives were lost, including the Fourth Hokage, Minato, and his wife, Kushina. The facts behind the incident are still unknown.."_

Life is born...

 _"But for now, let us mourn our comrades."_

And life... dies.

 **Sorry if there are any mistakes.**

 **It seems a little paced to me, but I was (mostly) keeping up with what happened in the anime and how it progressed so idk. Your thoughts? Was it okay for the first chapter?**

 **I'm not too certain on how the schooling system works in the Narutoverse, especially concerning the civilians too, so I'm kinda just gonna make up my own. From the ages 5 until 7, they start the Basic Academy, or just known as Academy, and depending on whether they want to become a shinobi and depending on how fast they progress, they either stay in Basic Academy or move to the Shinobi Academy, which will take students from the ages of 6-8. A year in Basic Academy is mandatory, no matter if wanting to become a shinobi, to learn history and all that jazz. Right now, Itachi, who is 5, is in Basic Academy and will try out for the Shinobi Academy at the age of 6. Civilians stay in Basic Academy until the age of 10, and if further education is wanted, they will be moved to Leaf Village Institution (made up obviously haha) where a monthly fee will have to be paid.**

 **Anyway,** **I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading!**

 _Before progressing any further_ ***! PLEASE READ BELOW FOR YOUR OWN BENEFIT !***

 _ **THERE WILL BE MATURE THEMES THAT WILL COME UP AT SOME POINT,**_ _ **e.g. mentions of rape, abuse, and/or (consented) sexual content that will result in the rating to be changed to M in later chapters.**_ _Nothing too graphic will be mentioned, I'm mostly doing this as a precaution. If you would like more of a warning added, PLEASE leave a review or PM me about it._ _There will also be curse words thrown around here and there. In preference, I hope that no one under the age of understanding mature situations reads this. For now, the rating will be set to T._

 _I am by **no** means a professional at writing or grammar, or practically anything._ _I_ _promise to try my best to fix the mistakes that I can see, but I can't promise perfection._

 ** _There will be no updating schedule, but I'll try to stick to one._**

 _ **POV changes won't be stated, it will be easy to discern who is who since the entirety of this story will be written in third person. The OC(s) will be introduced within the next couple(ish) chapters**_ _ **, I feel it is important to speak a little of Itachi first.**_

 **~ Shira**


	2. Chapter 2

_Summary:_

 _Itachi Uchiha has passed chūnin and successfully ranked up to ANBU, taking one minuscule step closer to becoming Hokage and achieving his dream of peace. However, when the Uchiha clan's coup d'état surfaces and exceeds further than Itachi could ever expect, it threatens to interfere with not only his serene view of the future but the Hidden Leaf's future as a whole. When all problems seemingly come to a brief standstill, the looming presence of the Foundation suddenly uproots from deep in the shadows. With the constant support from Shisui Uchiha coming to an unexpected halt, Itachi's will for peace starts to subtly wane concerning the existence of Danzō Shimura and his dark organization. ItachiOC, Shinobi/Civilian._

 _Genre: Friendship/Romance/Angst/Tragedy/Family_

 **Will of Fire**

 _ **02 ~ The Consequences of War Between Nations, Part Two**_

"The Nine Tails attack caused devastation throughout the village. For the reconstruction, we've decided to revise a number of the village's boundaries. We'd like the Aburame clan to move into this district." Lord Danzō unfolded his arms and took the long wooden pointer in his hand and pointed at the left side of the map presented to the surrounding group. "The clan previously submitted a request to occupy the forest, so we took that into consideration. The Nara clan's territory was not part of the stricken area, so they will remain where they are. The Leaf Police Force Headquarters, which sustained damage, will be rebuilt here." The councilman said, pointing far off on the map. "And the Uchiha clan will move along with the Headquarters -"

"Lord Danzō!" Fugaku interrupted, hastily pushing away from the table and standing up. "The Uchiha clan makes up the Leaf Police Force that protects the Hidden Leaf. As such, that location is too far away from the village center. We wouldn't be able to act swiftly in an emergency."

"We have the ANBU Black Ops for such emergencies." Danzō glared.

Fugaku resisted the urge to glare in return at the elder, he didn't want to show too much disdain and potentially get excused from the meeting, and focused on the Third Hokage seated with the other two council members. Even though Danzō was currently handling the situation, the Third Hokage had true say-so in the matter and hope for a different answer coursed through the Uchiha leader's blood. _Don't make the speculations worse._

"The Leaf Police Force has to commute to the training grounds, does it not? This location is near an area that is ideal for training. You can use that area exclusively for the Uchiha's training grounds." The Hokage reasoned.

Fugaku reluctantly quieted and slowly took a seat with a deep frown.

"Continuing on. In conjunction with the reconstruction of the Leaf Police Headquarters, the Uchiha clan will also relocate. Homes and..."

As he rested his chin on clasped hands, Danzō's voice faded into an incoherent blur of noises. _This arrangement was purposeful, they truly don't trust the Uchiha's._

 **oOoOo**

"Congratulations on your acceptance to Shinobi Academy, everyone!" the Third Hokage announced. "From this day forth, do your best to reach your goals to become the best shinobi possible. You are the future of this village."

Itachi wanted to sigh in annoyance. Long speeches had been made over and over by different people, all saying the same things but in different words, for the last hour and a half. He wanted his diploma so he could go to a new dango shop his mother promised to take him to after the celebration was over with. A tinge of an ached was beginning to set in his feet from standing in one spot for so long, and the other kids around him were beginning to sway in exhaustion and bump into him. Even the adults were shuffling their feet in anticipation for the celebration to end.

"Names will be called in alphabetical order. Please, Row One, come forward to accept your certificate to enter Shinobi Academy."

The extra thirty minutes waiting for his name to be called was almost worth the flashy parchment. The diploma was embellished with golden trim, elegant handwriting declaring his bravery for wanting to become a shinobi, and the Lord Third's scratchy signature. Itachi's name was centered at the top in a soft, neat print, a kunai within a star drawn under it to signify his entrance at such a young age.

"How ornamental, I'll have to find a frame to stick this in." Mikoto appeared from behind Itachi, Sasuke strapped to her to her back fast asleep. She took the certificate with a teary smile. "My baby, how fast you're growing up."

"Can we go to the dango shop, now?" Itachi handed the dull orange envelope to his mother and watched as she slowly placed the parchment within. He had to suppress the urge to cross his arms and tap his foot impatiently.

"Don't you want to talk to your friends first and congratulate them? Maybe say goodbye?"

"No."

It took another fifteen minutes of waiting on Fugaku to end his discussion with two other clansmen, with various hints casually thrown from Itachi towards the end, before they got to leave. Five tugs, each one given after a minute's interval, on his mother's hand, gave her the confidence to convince his father it was time to go, using the excuse of Sasuke needing to be fed soon and she didn't want any prying eyes to see. The celebration was slowly clearing out, leaving sparse groups of people scattered about with tired children complaining, and it irritated Itachi that essentially _he_ was one of those tired children complaining. Except he wasn't tired, he just wanted some dango and was starting to let impatience win.

 _What one should I choose?_ _Chadango? Botchan dango? Maybe even Goma? Definitely Goma._

Standing at the counter, smelling the different kinds of dumplings cooking, made Itachi more excited than getting his diploma to start the Shinobi Academy. He didn't even mind holding hands with his father, something that was a rare occurrence and slightly awkward for him to experience. His mind was too busy rushing with excitement to let anything bother him, though, and Sasuke must have noticed since he was oddly happy for being securely attached to their mother's back. Itachi could see him trying to wiggle through the cloth, causing Mikoto to reach back and put a soft hand on his behind to calm him down.

"Hey, Sasuke, do you want to try some Goma?" Itachi wiggled a finger in his baby brothers direction, then reached over to caress his exposed cheek "I'm sure you'll love it, too." An eruption of bubbly laughter escaped the baby in response.

After eating, the need to feed Sasuke no longer became an excuse as he became fussy with hunger.

"Go back home, I have somewhere I'd like to take Itachi." Fugaku told his wife, watching the distress slowly ease off her face. She bent down to kiss her son on the forehead, and Itachi wiped the wetness away once she turned to address his father with a gentle smile.

"You two have fun."

Fugaku waited until Mikoto left his sight before he got up from the small table they sat at as a family. Reaching over, he grabbed Itachi's hand for the second time that day and pulled him the opposite direction of where his mother and baby brother were heading.

It was five minutes later that things began looking familiar to Itachi, they were within the Market District, though heading passed their usual destinations. His father stopped at the end of the rows of businesses, where _Nakami_ was poorly written on a wooden sign hung in the air and attached to the side of a plain small building. Two long verticle windows were on either side of a door, paintings of war and weapons on both of them.

"Why are we here?"

"I wanted to gift you something for getting into the Academy so young and showing such amazing progress. I decided to take you this small weapons shop that my own father once took me to during celebratory times. Not many are like you, Itachi." Fugaku gave his son's hand a small squeeze before pushing the door open, causing a sharp ding to alert the owner of their presence. The first thing Itachi noticed was the distinct smell of metal, and then the sight of an abundance amount of swords, kunai, and everything in between that would satisfy any weapons specialist.

"Hello, is there anything I can help you with?" Itachi didn't expect to see a petite lady carrying the front end of a large scythe in their direction, or a boy a little older than himself following her and carrying the long handle.

"No, we're just looking for now." His father replied, leading him over to where the kunai were neatly propped up.

After sitting the scythe on a nearby table, the woman gestured to two different areas of the shop, "Because of the celebration for the new Shinobi Academy students, shuriken and kunai are half off today. We can also make customizations if that would be something you'd like." Fugaku nodded, and with a smile, the woman turned back to the table. "If you need help finding anything, please let me know."

Itachi's eyes immediately fixated on the second weapon that was lined up, "I like this one." He pointed to a sleek black kunai with a thin strap of black dyed leather tightly wound around the handle. The simplicity of it is what caught his attention so quickly, it wasn't bulky like the traditional sets of kunai that were given to shinobi, and under it were two others that looked just like it in slightly different sizes.

Fugaku grunted, lifting it up to examine and feel the weight of it, then handed it to his son, "It's lightweight but durable, most likely for close to midrange fighting. Throwing anything that light from a far distance wouldn't cause a significant amount of damage unless you enhanced it with chakra."

"Can I get it? Along with the set?" He liked the way it felt, and the way it looked; he'd never seen a kunai so smooth before.

"If it's what you want." Itachi nodded while giving the weapon back to his father. After he grabbed the other two, they made their way to the front counter where the woman quickly came to assist them.

"I believe you two are the fastest customers I've yet to have. You weren't even here for five minutes!" Saki, as the woman's nametag read, wrapped the kunai up and placed them in individual wooden boxes.

Fugaku gave a tiny smile, "My son has a way of getting straight to the point."

 **oOoOo**

A small three-week break was given to the new Shinobi Academy students, and Itachi had a faint hint of sadness cause an ache to form deep within his chest from having to leave Sasuke again. A routine of almost always being with his little brother had established fairly quickly and he didn't want it to end just yet, but he was about to leave the compound any second now, making the sadness grow and his heart thump painfully.

"Here's your lunch, try not to eat at it throughout the day." His mother handed him a neatly wrapped bento box, his source of melancholy seated comfortably on her hip. "Say bye-bye to big brother, Sasuke." Mikoto grabbed his slobbery hand and waved it at Itachi. He smiled and cooed softly around a toy shoved in his mouth, showing the few teeth currently growing in. "Have a good day, baby." He accepted the wet kiss on his cheek and left.

Soon, he was seated in a large room with other kids around his age talking to each other loudly and roughhousing. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a paper shuriken fly through the air and then heard a group of kids giggling uncontrollably when it smacked a young girl on the back of her head. Resting his chin on a closed fist, Itachi attempted to tune them out. _Why act so childish in a place where we are to learn to become shinobi?_ The door slammed open after another five minutes passed, and a man dressed in Chuunin garb walked in. The class quickly settled down, the laughter replaced by chairs scooting obnoxiously across the floor.

"I'm sure some of you have already been taught ninjutsu in your households, but here at the Academy, you will also train to coordinate and work together as a team when you are in a group. The fundamentals are very important, make sure you learn them well." Itachi's new sensei stood behind a tall wooden podium, lifting up a stack of papers and looking through them. "Before we get started, the roster will be called along with an introduction from each of you. After that, we can go to the Academy training grounds and practice, then we will come back to class and a series of questions will be asked. As a group, I need to figure out what we should begin focusing on first."

Itachi watched as the other students poorly threw their kunai, most of them landing on the ground far away from the targets in front of them. _How can you attend Shinobi Academy and not know the correct way to hold a kunai? Or the correct way to throw it?_ It was one of the first things his father perfected him on before he even attended Basic Academy, and now it came naturally each time he picked the weapon up. He sighed and threw his quickly at the target, all four landing on the bullseye in a neat square. He heard a gasp beside of him and seen another boy looking at his kunai embedded into the wood. Itachi did the same to him, noting that at least one of his classmates could handle the weapon, even _if_ they were nowhere inside the circles. He grabbed the rest of the kunai in his pouch and threw them at the bullseye again. _This is kind of boring, I can get more training done by myself._

"You bunch are doing a great job. Itachi Uchiha, amazing handling." His sensei was surveying them all, jotting down notes after evaluating each person. "We'll practice for another ten minutes and then clean up and go back inside."

 **oOoOo**

It wasn't often Itachi skipped out on training, or the Academy; he could count on one hand just how many times he let it happen (and it always involved Sasuke or his mother). But today was an exception that had to be made whether he liked it or not. His thoughts had been running against his will into territory that he managed to stay out of until recently, and he didn't know how to appease it or the feelings that had accompanied along and pushed itself to the surface. They had quickly become a burden, he had hardly slept for the past three nights. He was exhausted, physically and mentally, but made it deep enough into the training grounds that the only thing that could bother him was nature itself.

For the last twenty minutes, while comfortably slouched against a tree, he had been watching a murder of crows bounce back and forth between the trees and the ground in search of food. _There is birth and there is death. There is birth and there is death. There is birth and there is death._ _There is birth... and there is death..._ Itachi blinked hard when a loud bang was heard from the distance. The crows he had been watching cawed out repeatedly and quickly flew together, circling each other for a moment before flying off. _Life... flocks together._ He closed his eyes tightly, bringing clenched fists to rest heavily on his face. _What is a shinobi? What is a village? I want to know what makes a village._ He sighed and let his arms slide down to the ground, opening his eyes and letting them focus to watch the crows disappear. _I_ need _to know what makes a village._

From the pouch strapped to his leg, he pulled out one of the kunai his father gifted him with and admired it silently. A brief flashback of the war caused his grip to tighten around the metal. _Is peace truly optional within the shinobi world?_ He flipped his hold on the tool, facing the sharp edge towards himself. _What actions would have to be taken to attain such a thing?_ He pulled the kunai closer to himself, stopping before the sharp point knicked the soft skin of his neck. _Sacrifices would have to be made. That's why wars exist. That's why pain exists._ _Is that why villages exist?_

"But is war and pain truly needed, though?"

 _Maybe I should train._ Itachi put the weapon away after a thick moment of silence in his mind, frowning when he spotted a lonesome crow watching him.

"You're very talented for your age." Shisui appeared from behind a tree the moment the last of Itachi's shuriken hit the bullseyes, looking approvingly at them and touching one closest to him. "It's in there pretty deep."

"I'm no match for you, Shisui."

"Oh come on," He grinned.

"What's wrong?" Itachi collected the shuriken around them while waiting on his friend to answer, mentally patting himself on the back when he had to use a bit of chakra to pull the stubborn pieces of metal out of the wood. Perhaps he was putting too much emotion behind his throws.

"Does the Academy bore you so much that you're ditching?"

"I'm not ditching." _Just taking a day off._

"Right." Shisui drew out, pulling the last shuriken out of the target that was near his head, and handed it to Itachi. "But anyway, it's getting late. Do you want to get some food with me? I was thinking about getting some dango."

 **Itachi is such a complex character to write, considering that he was so in depth with his feelings and knowledge of the world and how it worked at such a young age. Truly an amazing character.** **Also, as I stated in the first chapter, I'm following the anime (and how it flows quickly from one scene to another). I'm trying my best to kind of fill in the gaps so it's not too choppy and jumpy if you know what I mean. Some parts I may skip, other parts I may not. Please let me know what you think of this chapter, I had troubles with it at certain points and I'm not too satisfied, mainly because it's still fast-paced. Once I get out of following the anime, it should move normally.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed, and I apologize if there are any mistakes!**

 **Until next time!**

 **~ Shira.**


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